Research

Species extinction rates have accelerated well above background levels over the past century. Climate changes are an important driver in current and future anticipated declines for biodiversity. Stemming the loss of populations and species requires knowledge on the basis for local variation in extinction risk and conservation planning based on this information.

Research areas include: local climate change-related extinction risk for songbird populations, protected area planning that strategically prioritizes hotspots for biodiversity conservation under Canada Target 1 – the national complement to the international Convention on Biological Diversity 2020 Aichi Target 11, and techniques to identify climate refugia.

Indigenous culture is deeply intertwined with the natural environment. As a result, climate changes are leading to profound and disproportionately negative consequences for Indigenous communities including disruption to community ties and subsistence livelihoods. Traditional knowledge represents a powerful tool in mitigating impacts.

Research to support Indigenous resiliency includes: data sovereignty; community-based management of disaster risk; food switching and sustainable development. This work informs the establishment of benchmarks, generates assessment tools and contributes to capacity building.